Communities across western Washington have raised concerns about climate change and the impacts of increased wildfire risk in the region. This concern is motivated by large wildfires in eastern Washington and California, smoke events in western Washington, and growing evidence that changes in the climate are increasing the likelihood of wildfire in the Pacific Northwest.

Individuals in western Washington communities are increasingly asking:
- What is the risk of wildfire in the dense, wet forests of western Washington, and how does climate change affect that risk?
- How can we manage wildfire risk, particularly at the wildland-urban interface, while also recognizing the ecological role that fire plays?
- How can we raise awareness of increasing wildfire risk west of the Cascades?

In December 2018 the Climate Impacts Group with the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, the Puget Sound Climate Preparedness Collaborative, and the Tulalip Tribes hosted a cross-sector workshop to explore the issues of wildfires and climate change west of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest. The workshop convened about 100 experts from Northwest Tribes, academia, the non-profit and private sectors and federal, state and local governments.

The goals of the workshop were to raise awareness of the risks associated with westside wildfire, facilitate peer-to-peer learning on adaptation responses and connect practitioners and scientists to share information. Workshop participants also identified research and coordination needs for managing westside fire risk.

The following themes emerged from the workshop presentations and participant discussions:
1. Fire plays an important ecological and cultural role west of the Cascades.
2. Wildfire risk on the west of the Cascades is higher than most people realize, and we may need more outreach to effectively communicate this growing risk in order for individuals and communities to take action.
3. Wildland fire is fundamentally different east and west of the Cascades, and we may need different management strategies to cope with westside fire moving forward.
4. The risk of wildfire west of the Cascades will likely increase with climate change and population growth.
5. Collaboration will be critical to deal with increasing wildfire risk in a changing climate.

The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) organizes an annual Deep Dive into an emerging climate risk.